Monthly Archives: January 2015

You know the WhatsApp calling feature that has been rumored for almost a year and supposed to roll out by the end of 2014? Well, it seems to be here, a few months late, and with a major caveat for now.

Reddit user pradnesh07 has come across the feature by receiving a WhatsApp call from a friend. That’s how the option is presumably activated for each user, in an invite-like system where you have to get called by someone who already has it enabled.

The always-useful BetterBatteryStats has received a major update that brings both a new look and full functionality on Lollipop devices. The interface remains fairly minimalistic, but at the least could be described as Material-esque. No hamburger menus or anything like that, but you have the bare bones there.

As you can see, a dark theme is available as well. I’m not a big fan of how the dark background pairs with the vibrant green, but I know some of you really don’t like white themes.

There are no shortage of ways to get links from one device to another, but this often involves signing up for a service and leaving behind a record of what you’re sharing. CaastMe is a new Android app that has an innovative way of getting around this, account free.

The software relies on QR codes, but it uses them in the opposite of the way you would expect. Instead of prompting your device to open a URL, CaastMe tells the computer displaying the code where to go.

I’m not much of a runner, but I’ve occasionally made use of the Runtastic Running and Fitness app to keep track of my time and distance while jogging around the neighborhood. Given that it’s the middle of winter in the US, I won’t be firing up the app anytime soon. But the more dedicated among you may be happy to know that the latest update (version 5.4) has made the few visual adjustments needed to better fit in on Lollipop devices.

With its latest new feature, Feedly is going after Google. The company has introduced Power Search, a feature reserved for pro accounts that lets you search for content around the web that isn’t saved in your feed.

Power search can pull up articles, podcasts, and videos alike. It displays the articles within the usual interface, effectively letting you read stories from outside your list of subscriptions as though you were already following them.

A week has passed since the Humble Mobile Bundle 10 made its presence known, and if you’ve been snatching up these pay-what-you-want deals for a while now, then you know what this means. That’s right, more games. In addition to the six previously revealed titles, we also see the likes of iPollute, Sorcery, and The Tiny Bang Story.

iPollute is a puzzle game made distinctive by its stop motion clay animation.

I asked you back in 2013 which streaming music service you paid for – if any – and now a little over a year later, I think it’s time for an update. Last time we held this poll, a full 50% of respondents indicated they paid for Google Play Music All Access (at least, it was the paid service they used most), with a sharp drop-off for Spotify, in second place at 14%.

Sony’s international phones have unlockable bootloaders, and the company even encourages users to tinker around with neat extras like AOSP builds. Alas, in markets like the US the carriers are still the keepers of the keys for a lot of customers, and T-Mobile has once again insisted on locking that sucker down for anyone who buys its version of the Sony Xperia Z3. Now users with this lamentable affliction can at least get root access on their phones, thanks to a bounty-winning method from an XDA user.

You might have noticed a number of recent stories (like this one) claiming Google was abandoning some huge portion of Android users rather than fix WebView security holes. It’s exactly the kind of thing that makes good clickbait. Google has now issued a statement on the security issues in Android 4.3 and earlier, basically pointing out it’s not feasible to update old code forever and offering tips for avoiding potential exploits.

The days of KitKat are numbered on the Moto G as Motorola begins pushing updates to devices in both the US and India. It isn’t available to everyone yet, but it’s on the way. That’s better than nothing, right?

#Lollipop is rolling out in phases to #MotoG (2nd Gen) in US & #MotoG (1st & 2nd Gen) in India. Look for the notification on your device!